machine gun oil

[ascast]

Remember the stuff in a 1 quart can, army green? It was stenciled machine gun oil, or some such.

Is that stuff still available? If so, where?

[Dryball]

Do you mean this stuff? ebay item # 292181230453

[Smoke4320]

If you are wanting oil for a machine gun like a 1919 mobil one works great.
If just looking for the can sorry I am no help

[w5pv]

Also Kroil Micro is good,No build up and it will get into places other oils will not

[Smoke4320]

PS for a 1919 run it dripping wet

[Outpost75]

Majority of WW2 gun oil was hydrofinished and dewaxed SAE30 non-detergent motor oil, nothing fancy. Just a good "non-gumming" oil.

Plain food grade mineral oil USP, or USDA H1 grade is (or at least was) Hoppes Gun Oil, excellent gun oil, cheaper at the corner pharmacy than in the yellow can.

Very widely sold as "honing oil" for sharpening kitchen knives and used to lubricate food processing equipment, slicers, etc.

Food grade mineral oil was very widely used in the Pacific theatre of Operations because it was colorless, odorless, tasteless, nontoxic.

Advantage in having no distinctive odor which could give away presence to the enemy.
Safer for use by troops when potable water was scarce and there were fewer opportunities to wash.
Fewer problems with incidental contact with foodstuff or if introduced into wounds, etc.

[Geezer in NH]

My 1919 loved Mobil 1 5-30W

[Jack Stanley]

I think the modern version is called LSA , a pal of mine gave me a quart can some years ago . It wasn't a green can though .

Jack

[NC_JEFF]

Try a lube called Slip2000, its for use on modern machine guns. I use it on my Colt 1911 and the slide felt like o had lightened the spring shortly afterwards.
Jeff

[rockrat]

Hear Mobil One 0w-20w was good for MG's

[Scharfschuetze]

I can't speak to Korea or earlier; but in VN we used LSA (Lubricant Small Arms) on our M60s. In the 80s, we started using CLP which was still in use when I retired.

[Larry Gibson]

Over years using and abusing varoius machine guns including 1919s we used the quart cans of 30 wt motor oil available in motor pools. We also used the square cans with screw on spout lids that were marked "machine gun oil" which we got a few of in May, '65...looked, smelled and worked just as well as the motor oil. Filled the cans back up with motor and kept using the can. LSA and Break Free came along we used those which worked just as well. Key was, as mentioned, "dripping wet"....

Note the Avatar photo ......I've an M60.......put it to good use several times.......

[Kraschenbirn]

Did two tours in 'Nam as crewchief/gunner on various models of UH-1. The issue lube for our M-60s was LSA...when we could get it...otherwise, we used good ol' Mil-L-7808; the 'universal' (engine, transmission, gearboxes, etc.) for the Huey.

Bill

[KenT7021]

PL-S And LAW was used on 1919's.Any oil would work except in extreme cold.In Vietnam we used LSA on M-60's and M16's on UH-1 gunships.On the miniguns and M-75 grenade launchers we used LSA-T.7808 and it's replacement 23699 were used on the exterior surfaces of miniguns during the rainy season.23699 will burn off the barrels leaving a purple tint.
The can shown on the auction site was issued empty to hold gun oil.I don't recall seeing any oil identified as machine gun oil.

[lightload]

From my reading and video viewing, I learned that in Vietnam the Ontos had a 1919 as did some Navy riverine patrol boats. Since these weapons were chambered for 30-06, I found it odd that the military did not replace the 1919 with M60s to simplify ammo distribution. Did any of you guys observe 30-06 1919's in Vietnam?

Larry, in Vietnam did you switch barrels when one got hot or just keep on firing?

[KenT7021]

We had a .30 cal.Browning M2 aircraft gun that we used as a door gun on a UH-1 gunship for a time.This is high rate of fire gun.We got ammo from the advisors of ARVN airborne troops.We had to get rid of it when the witch hunt for unauthorized weapons started.It wound up on a SF airboat in the Delta.
We didn't switch barrels on door guns.A burst with a door gun on a gunship was the length of a firing run on target.Ammo belts were 1500 to 2000 rounds layered in a fabricated ammo box or a A-165 can.

[Larry Gibson]

lightload

"Did any of you guys observe 30-06 1919's in Vietnam?"

Yes, lots of them, Marvin the ARVIN had them when I was there by the butt load.

"Larry, in Vietnam did you switch barrels when one got hot or just keep on firing?"

In the heat of battle....no, especially if maneuvering. The barrels did not have a handle on them and it was impossible for the asst gunner to carry the hot barrel, even with 2 asbestos mitts (a good gunner will have his asst gunner "lose" one so he is issued a 2nd or he will steal one and keep it well hidden during inspections) when moving. A really hot barrel would melt right through the plastic carrying case. I also commandeered a pack board with the radio shelf on it for my asst gunner. A 400 round can with a 450 continuous belt in it fit right on the shelf and was readily available. That along with the 200 round addition can the asst gunner carried and the 200+ rounds I had gave us a "fighting chance". With the issue of jungle rucks I commandeered the PRC-25 shelf for the same purpose. As time went by when maneuvering the ammo bearer carried the spare barrel.

If there was a sufficient lull and I still had my asst gunner close by.....yes. When we deployed from Okinawa we had trained with the M60s as a crew. The asst gunner only had a M1911A1 so he was dependent on the M60 and stayed close by to do his job. When they began giving the asst gunners M16s it became increasingly hard to keep them with the gun if maneuvering as they always reverted to being a rifleman instead of assisting with the gun. I made my asst gunners carry their M16 slung over their shoulder/backs when on patrol with ammo in their hands ready to feed the gun. I still got separated a time or two from them because they reverted to using the M16, fighting as an infantryman, instead of staying with the gun and being an asst gunner. I had a high attrition rate with asst gunners....either they quit because I wouldn't let them be rifleman or they became casualties.....the good ones that stayed with the gun. Lot's of shooting at machine guns with most rounds hitting around the machine gun which is where asst gunners are.......

Later, among other units, the M60 became an individual weapon (a SAW; Squad Automatic Weapon) with the other squad members being ammo bearers......I believed then and still do that was a big tactical mistake. The M60 is a GP (General Purpose) machine gun and is supposed to be crew served to be effective as such. The effectiveness of a M60 when crew served with a trained crew is much more effective than when it is used as a SAW.

[CraigOK]

Try a lube called Slip2000, its for use on modern machine guns. I use it on my Colt 1911 and the slide felt like o had lightened the spring shortly afterwards.
Jeff

slip 2000 ewl is great, slip 2000 ewl 30 is a little thicker. Not sure you'll beat the price of some of these other options though

[dualsport]

What's the shelf life of these old milspec gun oils?

[Outpost75]

I'm still using Corrosion Preventive Lubricating Oil, MIL-PRF-32033, VV-L-800C from the 1960s.

[Outpost75]

Remember the stuff in a 1 quart can, army green? It was stenciled machine gun oil, or some such.

Is that stuff still available? If so, where?

https://www.mil-specproducts.com/Products/TECTYL-900?gclid=CK_-mYmwk9UCFUm5wAodDHUESQ

Corrosion Preventive Lubricating Oil - MIL-PRF-32033, VV-L-800C

Container Size Unit Price Lead Time Quantity
54 Gallon Drum $1,215.49 1-2 Weeks
5 Gallon Pail $272.21 1-2 Weeks
1 Gallon Can $84.96 In-Stock
1 Quart Can $31.01 In-Stock
1 Pint Can $27.30 In-Stock
1 Aerosol Can $14.87 In-Stock
12 Aerosol Cans (Case)$168.80 In Stock!
For Larger Orders Request A Quote

Extended Product Description:
Tectyl 900 is a solvent cutback, water displacing, low viscosity lubricating oil and corrosion preventive compound.

Intended Use:
Tectyl 900 provides protection to ferrous and non-ferrous industrial parts during storage and covered transit.

Product Cross References: ROYCO 308CA
NSNs and Specifications:
9150-00-281-2060 55 gallon drum
9150-00-231-9062 5 gallon pail
8030-01-569-9673 1 gallon can
9150-00-231-6689 1 quart can
9150-00-458-0075 1 aerosol can
MIL-PRF-32033
VV-L-800C
NATO Code O-190

[lightload]

Larry, thank you for your detailed reply.